Shingeki Ink
by BirdCannotFly
Summary: Eren Jaeger decided he wants people to wear his artwork. As his first step to becoming a well off tattoo artist, he attempts to land an apprenticeship with world famous tattoo artist, Levi Ravaille. Eren follows Levi through the daily life of being a famous tattoo artist and owning a very popular ink parlor in New York City. Tattooing isn't the only thing Eren falls in love with.
1. Apprenticeshit

Shingeki ink

Chapter 1: Apprenticeshit

Eren

This bench was really beginning to hurt. How long have I been sitting here? An hour, maybe? What I was doing was stupid, childish even. I was questioning what I'd gotten education for. What I thought I was ready to do with my life.

Do I still want this for myself? Of course, the answer was obvious. I want people to look at my work and want it on their body for the rest of their lives.

Some people would disagree with my opinion, but tattoos are absolutely amazing. They tell stories of peoples struggles and shows that you aren't afraid to stand out. I dedicate my life to becoming a well known tattoo artist. It's the next best thing to getting tattoos.

My eyes slid across the parlor name once again, reminding myself why I was here. Shingeki Ink in big, bold, cursive pink above an awning with a flashing open sign in the window. My heart told me to get my sorry ass off of this public bench and get my apprenticeship, but my head told me that I won't get it, that I'll be laughed at. Demeaned in front of a very important person. I rubbed my tired, dry eyes, inhaling a deep and fresh breath, I stood on knee-knocking legs. Making sure my stuff was secure in my back pack, I began crossing the road. Through an opening of cars, I rushed across the street. My Vans splashed water back on my jeans. As I entered Shingeki Ink, I noticed how high end this place really was. There was a front desk with a tall man standing behind it. His back was to the front door, so I didn't see his face. He was conversing with a woman with short, red hair. They both had bright and precise tattoos all over. The guy had sleeves with intricate designs and color. The guy turned his head to look at who had walked into their shop. His hair was neatly placed on the side. Everything about this man screamed precision. Finesse. The man looked like a Captain America look-alike. He was stunning. My tongue swelled in the back of my throat, making speaking difficult.

"Hello." His voice broke me out of my stupor. I ran my fingers back through my chocolate brown hair. I chuckled a little and stepped closer up to the desk. He smiled at me with straight, pearly white teeth. I felt the need to stop a blush going up my neck from reaching my cheeks. It worked, so I spoke.

"I have an appointment with Levi Ravaille." I told him. Big, blue irises followed every nervous twitch of mine. My front teeth gnawed on my lower lip, seeking comfort.

"For a tattoo? Piercing?"

"Apprenticeship request." I said with a nod. His eyebrows rose as he chortled.

"Levi hasn't been a mentor in a long time. None of the others really caught his interest..." He droned off at my frightened expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lower your confidence. I'm sure you'll do great. What's your name again?" He smiled a great, large smile. My insides melted slightly.

"Eren Jaeger, and thanks, I guess." I muttered, embarrassed. He came around the side of the desk and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and showed me to a waiting area with a few chairs and a magazine stand. The, obviously built, man told me to wait until Levi was ready to see me. I nodded my thanks and again with another dazzling smile, he left. My leg began to bounce anxiously on the floor. Before coming here, I had never thought Levi Ravaille would be stubborn choosing his apprentaces. What if he doesn't like me? Where else would I want to be an intern at? Shingeki Ink was the best of the best in New York. The artists are all payed well and known to many popular tattoo magazines. The owner and founder of Shingeki Ink, Levi, has appeared on the covers of many public reads and gains customers every day. He's majorly successful and I want to work for him.

Wanting something to do with my hands, my right one snaked into my pocket to pull out my phone. I opened up a message to send to Mikasa, telling her what the man said and confiding my fears of failure. She told me to stop being so negative all the time. Mikasa is my rock when my confidence is low and I feel like becoming a tattoo artist under one of the best in the world isn't possible, she plays the overly-protective sister roll.

Suddenly, the extremely attractive desk manager comes in. He let his eyes wonder over my face before his pink lips twisted into a smerk.

"Levi will see you now." He walked me past the desk in the middle in the room where the woman with short, red hair followed me with her eyes. She smiled encouragingly.

The man, who I haven't gotten the name of, brought me to a set of stairs. They had windows that overlooked the city. I stopped, my face turning to one of wonder. There was a breathy chuckle from the amazing man. "You're a sucker for pretty sights, I see." I looked back at him, my cheeks slightly rosy. I wasn't willing to admit I was. Instead, I shrugged and smiled at the white clouds against the azure sky. "Erwin, by the way." He said while running his fingers back through his hair. He looked like an Erwin.

"We should probably get to Levi if I even want to be considered for this apprenticeship." He belted a laugh as the ends if his eyes crinkled. Erwin agreed, so we continued on. We got to an apartment looking door and Erwin knocked. I gulped, waiting to see the famous Levi. The door swung open and he was there, right in front of my eyes. What a sight he was. His hair was perfectly straight and parted in the middle with an undercut in the back. Tattoos covered his body, or at least the visible parts. They went up his neck and disappeared under a beige sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore blue jeans with a belt that had a chain running into his pocket. He had a septum ring in his nose and ring in his lip. His eyes were a slate grey with a hint of blue and a pair of black, rectangle framed glasses. They were disinterested as they stared at my figure up and down. Get this; I was taller than him. He was just a tad shorter than me and I assumed he wasn't happy with that. With a sigh, he opened his door wider and let me in. Erwin smiled at me and turned to go back downstairs. The door shut and Levi waved me to follow him. He sat in a chair on the end of a coffee table and showed his hand to the couch diagonal from him. I swung my backpack from my shoulders, sat down and let it rest on my feet. He stared at me for a moment before leaning his elbow on the armrest and rested his face on his hand.

"You're Eren Jaeger, right?" He asked inquisitively. His voice was deep and rich, with a slight accent. Giving his last name, I assumed he was incredibly French.

"I, uh, yes." I said with a nod. Levi closed his eyes.

"German?" He said in reference to my name.

"Yeah. My father is German and my mother was Japanese." He nodded his head slowly and opened his cold eyes to stare at me. His gaze was heavy and made me squirm.

"Be honest with me, brat. You're not actually here for an apprenticeship are you?" He said, his voice now a bit louder. Before, he was just barely whispering. My eyes widened and I went into stutters.

"Oh, yeah I am here for a apprenticeship. Is that hard to believe or something?" I asked, somewhat offended. Levi leaned on his hand heavily and watched me carefully.

"Well, I mean are you even out of highschool? You look seventeen." I almost flinched at his dig at my age. I sighed a little and opened my mouth.

"I'm twenty two." I said through clenched teeth. His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Other than that, you look like you'd be scared to even walk past a tattoo parlor besides the ring in your nose." My fingers played with the ring piercing before I folded my hands in my lap.

"You're right. I don't have any tattoos. It's a shame I don't. I can't scar my body with works of art." I told him while finding a window to stare at instead of his questioning glare.

"I might regret asking, but why can't you get a tattoo?" I gulped and opened my mouth to tell him.

"There's something wrong with my nerves. My pain tolerance is so low it's not considered normal. Minor injuries feel like severe ones. The pain would be unbearable if I were to get a tattoo. My doctor suggests I don't even try, that the effects the pain would have on my body would be too dangerous. I was screaming in pain from my nose piercing. It's the only thing I have." Levi was silent but I knew he was listening.

"I've never met a tattoo artist without tattoos before." He muttered. In a thinking manor, he rubbed his chin. "You have some of your work with you, I assume." I reached into my bag and handed him a Manila folder with my art. I was the best at black and white shading, and detail. My works had dark twists to it. His face seemed impassive as he looked through my work. He snapped it closed and looked back at me. "You're interesting, Jaeger. Tell me more about yourself." Suddenly he had a smirk on his face. He was amused, somewhat. I wasn't sure why. I wasn't an amusing person, the last I checked. Nor interesting.

"Well, my mom died when I was ten. Cancer. My dad ran off at some point. I have no idea where he went off to. My sister and I bounced around in foster homes since we were both children. When Mikasa turned eighteen, she left the system and took me with her. Wanting a fresh start, we moved to New York. Three years later, here I am." Levi breathed in and out deeply. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to Levi. I knew he had been captivating on the magazines, but he looked even better in person. His skin was fair and pail. I wanted to sooth my hands over his delicate tattoos.

"You have quite the story, kid. I give out compliments generously because if not, it inflates their ego and no one wants that. But you have potential. Your work is fascinating and I'm drawn by your techniques." I smiled brightly. He looked away to the window.

"Thank you, sir." I replied.

"But you have a long way to go before you're good enough for my parlor. I'll be honest, Jaeger. I don't like having apprentices. So, I'm sorry. If I change my mind, I'll give you a call." My spirits fell at an alarming rate. Face slacked in the happiness I felt earlier, now sagged with sadness.

"I understand..."I mumbled, disappointment smacking me in the face. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Ravaille." I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood. Levi Lead me to the door and opened it to lead me out. With shaking hands, I picked up my bag and walked towards the door with my face tilted downwards. He took me to the front door of the parlor and wished me luck.

As soon as I saw a bus stop, I dropped down onto the bench. Deeply, I breathed in and out for a few minutes. Levi Ravaille just told me he liked my work, and rejected me. I bent over and rested my head into my lap. Why doesn't he like having apprentices? Does he not like teaching or something? What if he just said that to spare my feelings? I brought my head up to look at the sky. It was blue with puffy clouds all over. It was supposed to rain today, but not until later. My phone buzzed in my pocket, someone was calling me. After pulling my phone out, I saw it was Mikasa. She's going to be so mad. We were supposed to go out for drinks after I got my apprenticeship. Obviously, that's not happening.

"Hello." I said into the phone in a quiet voice.

"Eren! How did the interview with Levi Ravaille go? What time are we going out? I was thinking we could go to this place more downtown and maybe bring Armi-" I cute of Mikasa, who was getting more than a little ahead of herself.

"Mikasa, I didn't get it. I didn't get the apprenticeship." I almost shouted. She became quiet instantly.

"You what? Why not? Your art is amazing! Who the hell wouldn't accept you?" She was livid, angry at Levi probably.

"He said he didn't like having apprentices. Otherwise, I apparently have 'potential'." My voice became soft and saddened once again.

Mikasa groaned. "Okay, well you know what? Fuck him. We'll go out tonight anyways. You don't need to apprentice for Shingeki Ink. There are plenty of other popular tattoo parlors. We live in New York for fuck sake." I smiled a little and chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm coming home. I'll see you in a little bit." I hung up and stood to walk my sorry ass home.

Later that night, Mikasa and I dressed as nice as we could and left to pick up Armin. We decided upon this bar downtown that had live music every night. Once we pulled up to Armin's house, he came walking out. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way. He swapped his wire framed glasses for contacts tonight. A light blue button up with a fold over collar and a pair of dark jeans was his outfit of choice tonight. The door opened again behind him, someone else coming out of the small, blue house. My eyes widened and my head whipped to look at Mikasa's guilty face.

"What the hell is he doing?" I asked my sister, pointedly at Jean making his way to catch up with Armin.

"I invited him..." She muttered, her hands tightening around the steering wheel.

"What?" I hissed as Armin and Jean climbed into the car.

"Hey, guys!" Armin said, smiling at us through the review mirror. I smiled painfully back.

"Hi." My cheeks burned from the spurious expression.

"Jaeger." Jean sneered, as if disgusted by my mere presence. _Watch it, Horseshit._

"Horse." I replied with equal, if not more, attitude.

Jean's eyes narrowed. "Nice outfit. Mikasa has good taste." Jaw clenched at the dig, I assessed he meant that I couldn't even pick my own damn clothes out myself.

My reply was swift, knowing it would silence Jean for at least the rest of the car ride. "Oh, I know she has good taste. Otherwise, she wouldn't have rejected you five billion times." Boy, I was so right. Mikasa snorted at my comeback, not even bothering to chide me for being immature. It wasn't my fault Jean wanted to irritate me like that all the time. Armin simply rolled his azure eyes. You could practically see steam billowing from his ears and I didn't hear Jean's annoying voice for the rest of the way. When the quiet became inevitably still, I turned the volume dial up on the radio. AC-DC reverberated throughout the small Buick as we entered the nightlife of New York City. My fingers tapped the tune of "Back In Black" on my knee while we weaved our way through traffic. Finally, we arrived at the semi-packed bar. We showed our IDs to the bouncer, me hoping they would card Jean and claim his ID was fake. We don't always get what we want. As we searched the bar, Armin found us a nice table that was void from a lot of people. Being around too many make me kind of uncomfortable.

Mikasa ordered a pitcher of beer for the whole table, but I declined. Instead, I ordered a fruity cocktail.

"How did I know you were going to go for the girly drinks?" Jean decided to pipe in. I ran my fingers through my hair excessively.

"Beer tastes like piss." I argued. Jean rolled his eyes.

"You just don't have a man's taste buds." He said with a dramatic sigh. Mikasa glared.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, her voice wavering with pent up anger.

Jean paled. "N-Nothing."

"Anyways!" Armin jumped in, directing our attention to him. He cleared his throat and turned to me with a large smile. "So, how did your meeting with Levi Ravaille go?"

I looked at the table and followed the pattern of wood grain with my eyes.

"I... Didn't get it." Mikasa put her hand on my shoulder.

Armin whined. "Why not? Your art is amazing, Eren! How did he not see that?"

"He said I have potential. Supposedly, he doesn't like having apprentices." I replied while chewing on the inside of my cheek.

Jean opened his mouth and at this point, I would have preferred it to be a black hole coming out instead of words.

"Yeah, okay. I bet he said that to spare your little feelings. Didn't want a sniveling shithead on his hands." Jean talked and talked. His words rattled inside my skull. What if Levi hadn't liked my work at all? What if I'm not as good as I thought? My pulse quickened and there was a burn in my eyes. Jean was a faint whisper in my ear as my mind worked a million miles an hour. Suddenly, I bolted from my chair and went for the door. Air. I needed fresh air. That bar was beginning to make me light headed. There was just one too many horses packed in there and I was feeling suffocated in that thick atmosphere. As soon as the cool, urban air hit my lungs, it was like a blessing. I sighed deeply and cast my eyes to the sky. The moon seemed to be mocking me as it half hid behind gray clouds.

I heard the door open behind me. I was ready for it to be Mikasa. Spinning on my heel, I opened my mouth to tell her to go back inside and that I needed to be alone. Instead, I came face to face with a man I didn't think I'd see again. At least not so soon. There was a cigarette dangling between his pink lips, waiting to be lit. My eyes widened and my mouth floundered for words. He didn't say anything, but held open a pack of cigarettes in front of me. He was offering me one. I shook my head.

"No?" Levi said. He snapped the lid closed and stuck them in his coat pocket. From the same pocket, he produced a lighter and lit the end of his cancer stick.

"That's not very healthy." I commented. Levi took a long drag, the ember glowing orange, the lighting casting shadows across my face.

"No shit. I try quitting, but it's harder than you'd think." He blew the smoke off to the side, making sure not to get it in my vicinity, which was greatly appreciated.

"I never picked up the habit." I said, scuffing my shoe across the pavement. Cars drove past us, people walked around us.

"Lucky you, then." There was kind of an awkward silence for a few moments. "So, you came here with friends. Why aren't you with them?"

I chose my words carefully. "Just got a bit overwhelmed."

"Don't go out much, kid?" Levi asked, smoke tendrils floating out of his mouth like an octopus crawling out of the depths of the ocean.

I shook my head no, honesty being the best policy.

"I heard that ugly motherfucker in there talking to you like that. The one with the two different colored hair and fucked up undercut?" I glanced at his hair with a raised eyebrow. His pale grey eyes rolled. "My undercut is perfect. His looks like he used a damn weed-whacker to cut it."

To my surprise, I laughed. It wasn't a hearty, overdone laugh. A chuckle, really. Or a giggle. Dear God, I hope it wasn't a giggle. "It's fine, I guess. Jean and I have always talked to each other like that. We push each other's buttons."

"Well, he was wrong anyways." His eyes closed while he inhaled another drag from the cigarette, it slowly burning shorter. I took this time to assess his attire this evening. He wore a pair of tight, grey jeans with black Chukka boots. They were sleek and fresh. His leather jacket was left unzipped over a black sweater with white stripes in the form of boxes all over. Levi's hair was pin-straight, as any other time I've seen him. His porcelain complexion was flawless and contrasted perfectly with his dark selection of colors, and of course tattoos peeked out under the neckline and sleeves. His blueish gray eyes opened and focused on me, so I acted like I hadn't just been checking him out.

"He was?" I asked, intrigued. Levi flicked ash off the end of his cigarette and nodded.

"Of course. I told you before, I don't sugar coat so if I said it was good, then it was."

"Right. And you actually just don't like having apprentices?"

Levi bobbed his head again.

"Can I ask why?"

"You can, but I won't tell you shit." I had a feeling that I was going to get an answer similar to that.

I laughed. "Fair enough."

There was silence.

"Eren?" Levi said. I glanced at him and there was some kind of expression on his face and I couldn't tell if it was a nervous look or something else. "Would you still be interested in being my apprentice?"

My mouth dropped. Did he just say what I think he said?

"Well, yeah." I claimed with a growing smile.

He dropped the cigarette and stomped on it. "Okay. Be there at ten AM tomorrow."

Surprise and excitement battled for dominance in my chest. "What changed your mind?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Maybe I just like you for some reason." My heart skipped. Levi liked me? He was okay with me? "Now, go back in there and tell that long-faced asshole to fuck off."

"I think he looks like a horse." I replied with a toothy smile.

Levi laughed suddenly and it was a wonderful chime. Once composed, he replied. "He does, now that you say so." I began walking back into the bar when I turned back around.

"Thank you, Mr. Ravaille."

"Eh, don't worry about it. And call me Levi, I'm not that old." He shrugged his muscled shoulders.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Levi."

As I went back inside, there was warm burning in my stomach and I felt delirious, but I doubted it was from the smell of cigarette.


	2. Easy Targets

Shingeki Ink

Chapter 2: Easy Targets

Levi

With a huff, I dropped myself into the chair I previously occupied before I noticed Eren leave the bar. Seeing him here startled me. I'd actually forgot he was even old enough to drink. He was twenty-two and I had to keep reminding myself that. The cigarette taste still on my tongue irritated me, so I popped a piece of gum into my mouth. I sighed while stirring the candy. The table stopped talking and turned to look at me. With narrowed eyes, I glanced at everyone.

"What?" I growled. Erwin took a long sip of his beer, the increments of a smirk playing his lips.

"Nothing, dear." Hanji said with a knowing tone.

"That was that kid from today, right? The one who came looking for an apprenticeship?" Petra asked, stirring her straw in her fizzy, alcoholic beverage. She looked stunning tonight. Her hair was straight as always. Her lips were a deep, velvet red and she extenuated her eyes with dark mascara and eyeliner. Her cheeks sparkled with a flower petal pink blush. Petra wore a purple tank top and dark jeans. If I was straight, I'd fall for her as soon as I laid my eyes on her. She was nice, cute, and caring. But she could kick some ass, if need be. We've been friends for a long time, so we were technically like siblings. Honestly, we were all kind of like a little family if you really thought about it.

Erwin hummed while nibbling on his straw. Now, Erwin, I could never ever fall for. He's too good of a friend for that. But I know it would be easy to if the situation was different. He was one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen, and he was all too kind.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "I remember now! His name is Eren." He announced. "What did you guys talk about?"

I sighed, relenting to tell them of my new apprentice. They would find out tomorrow when he showed up at the shop anyways.

"I decided to give him a chance as my... apprentice." I said it calmly, but Hanji threw a party.

"Oh wow, really?! That's great! It'll be nice to have someone younger around." She practically screamed.

Looking over at Erwin, I noticed a tinge of red to his cheeks. "He's kind of cute, don't you think?"

I didn't really know how to answer that, because yes, I thought Eren was adorable.

"He's twenty-two, Erwin. Way too young for your crusty ass." I muttered into my glass of wine.

"Really? Hey, twenty-eight isn't much of a difference." He whined, basically. I groaned and rubbed the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb. "You don't mind if I give it a shot, right?"

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they would have fallen right out of my head. "I'm not your fucking mother, Erwin. You can date whoever you want, I don't give a shit." The words left a bitter taste in my mouth, although I was unsure why. Yeah, the kid was kind of cute. Big whoopee fucking doo. If he's going to be my apprentice, there's no way I can even think about him as anything more. It would be completely unprofessional and distracting, even. Let's think rationally here; what's the chance he even likes men? Not very large, I'd assume.

Erwin smiled. "Right."

Without realizing it, I glanced back at Eren's table. He sat with a girl with long, dark hair. She seemed to be more secluded than the others. Her face held a blank expression at she watched that horse-faced kid talk. Eren didn't seem to be amused by whatever he was saying, so he just sat with his broad shoulders slouched and his hands rubbing over every surface of his face like he was trying to wipe whatever that kid was spewing from his olive skin. The blond one seemed to be nice enough, paying attention to everything horse-face said like it was the schematics for the deactivation of a nuclear bomb.

Eren moved a piece of wavy, oak brown hair from his face. His jade eyes blinked slowly, like he was just itching to be asleep right now. The black ring in his nose shined under what little lighting there was. Eren's high cheekbones and sharp jaw-line actually made him look older for the moment, and now I suddenly saw how old he really looked. He was seriously tall, at least compared to me; fuck genetics to hell. Eren wore a forest green button up with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and a pair of black jeans with old-looking Chucks. I expected nothing less. Even though his clothes were kind of cheap, he made them look damn good honestly.

But, I pushed that out of my mind.

The night went by a little faster once I did that. Hanji, Erwin and I walked back to the apartments with alcohol in our stomachs. I felt somewhat dizzy, but at least I was coherent. Erwin carried a drunk ass Hanji into the building. We called goodnight to each other and went in our separate apartments, me passing out barely after changing my clothes.

I woke up the next morning with a slight headache, to which I put a swift stop to with some medication. After showering, and picking out and putting on my clothes for the day, I checked the time again. It was nine thirty AM, so I made some toast with blackberry jam and brought it down with me to the shop. Erwin was already organizing things on the front desk and doing some paperwork. Hanji was drinking coffee greedily from a mug that said "Don't Talk To Me". It's mine, but Hanji asks to use it whenever she wants coffee at the shop, so now she just takes it without asking. I used to gripe about it, but now I just don't care enough. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she shied away from sunlight.

"Good morning, Hanji." I greeted, purposely slamming the stairwell door. It echoed off the walls. She let out a high-pitched yelp and jumped in her computer chair.

"Leeeviiiii..." Hanji whined, cradling her mug to her chest.

"You should know not to get overly shit faced on a weeknight. It's common sense, Four-Eyes." I concluded, she sighed and rubbed her forehead. Today she decided on a pair of sweatpants, a black tank-top and red high-tops on her feet. I didn't really reinforce a dress code for my employees, but they know their boundaries. Most of the time, anyways.

I heard Erwin chuckle softly, more of a breath of air. Glancing at the big clock on the wall above the balcony over the break area. The tattooing rooms are private rooms adjoining each other in hallways in next to the waiting area. The clock read 9:45. Eren would be here soon. I munched on my toast at the managing desk.

"Eren's coming today, right?" Petra asked as she entered the room with a cup of coffee for herself. I nodded, chewing slowly. I noted Erwin's small smile and my eyes narrowed. What was he planning? I don't care if he wants to hook up with Eren, by all means, it's none of my business. But if this causes a problem within the shop, I won't be a happy man. Apprentices are already so much work, I don't want to get caught up in their bullshit if things don't go well.

On top of that, I hoped Eren would get along with everyone alright. He seems like a generally nice person, so that just makes him already okay with Petra. Hanji can't take an insult seriously enough to resent someone. Trust me, she would hate me if that weren't the case. Erwin has obviously taken a liking to him in the short time they've spoken. What have they talked about? Surely Erwin started conversation with him about something. He wouldn't just keep his mouth shut to Eren. Did they talk about me at all? Why would I care?

"Levi?" I hear through the crunching of toast in my mouth. I gulped it down, and hummed to Petra. Her perfect, auburn eyebrow cocked at a 45 degree angle. "Are you okay? Are you nervous?" The concern in her eyes made me look away.

"No, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night..."

"It's just... This is your first apprentice since, you know..." She muttered, looking down into her dark brown liquid. I brushed past her to put the plate that had a still whole piece of toast in the garbage.

"Yeah, I know." I answered simply, wanting to get away from that topic as fast as I could. The front door opened with the ring of a bell, alerting all in earshot that someone had arrived. When the door shut, I heard a friendly greeting from Erwin. "Hello, Eren!"

He was here. I had to go be a mentor again. I swore I would never teach again and for a good damn reason, too. I sighed and made sure I looked presentable. I rolled up the sleeves on the black sweater and pulled up my white washed blue jeans that folded just below the knee. My tan Toms moved comfortably with my anxious feet. I pushed up my glasses and patted down my hair. Tongue searching everywhere in my mouth for seeds from the blackberry jam, I headed into the entrance.

"Morning, Jaeger." I remarked with my arms crossed over my chest. This was easy, I could do this. He looked up with a toothy smile, his emerald eyes almost stopping me in my tracks. They really were something else. At first glance, they seemed bright and just stunning. But, in its depths was something almost painful. Although he didn't go into specifics, he was apparently bounced around in foster homes. His mother died when he was young, and then his father went off the grid. What was this I was feeling in my chest? This tightening?

Eren wore a tight, light blue tee-shirt and dark jeans. You could see his toned arms and chest muscles through the shirt. My eyes were physically drawn to them, so I turned around and began shuffling through paperwork for my schedule for the day.

"Are you excited?" I heard Erwin ask Eren.

"Yeah, I can't wait. I just hope I don't mess up something..." He mumbled. I turned around once my schedule was in hand. I caught sight on a sympathetic Erwin hand squeeze his shoulder. I grit my teeth.

"I'm not gonna have you do anything too stressful today. I have a photo-shoot at noon, so you can come with me to that, and then after I have some appointments you can observe in on for today. For right now, I'm going to give you a tour around the shop." I said over the counter. Eren nodded.

"Yes, sir." He replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Levi." I corrected for him. He simply smiled and shrugged guiltily. It was kind of... no, never mind.

"Do you want me to come along as well?" Erwin asked with an innocent smile.

"No," I answered a little too quickly. Erwin rose his bushy eyebrow. "I mean, I have some paperwork you need to take care of." Which was true, but it technically didn't _need_ to get done this second. Oh, well.

He nodded. "Well, alright. I'll see you later, Eren." Erwin retreated to his office where I left a stack of appointments to go through and schedule.

"Come on, kid." I said to Eren, waving him to follow me. There was a desk separate to the manager's desk that I decided to give to Eren, considering no one uses it. He set his stuff on it and continued following me around the shop. I took him to the break room first.

"This is where we have lunch, or take breaks between tattoos and whatnot. Tip for the fridge," I pointed to the fridge where we store lunches we make for break that day. "If you put food in there, label your damn name on it or someone will eat your pork sandwich." I said, still angry over Hanji taking my lunch a few weeks ago. He chuckled.

"Speaking from personal experience?" He asked while crossing his arms. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Sadly." I answered vaguely. He laughed again and I decided that I liked the sound. I lead him to the hallway with the private tattooing rooms. The doorways and doors themselves were a dark, cherry oak that contrasted perfectly with the light blue walls. I showed him one of the rooms and explained that all the rooms looked alike. Then, I started with the invasive questions to see what I was working with.

"Have you ever tattooed anyone before?" I asked. Eren, who was looking at the machine set in the corner of the room, looked up with a deer in the headlights look. His eyes were so bright.

"Actually, yeah. I tattooed my sister before. She has it on her thigh." My eyebrows rose slightly, impressed by the trust between him and his sister.

"She must have a lot of faith in her younger brother." I commented.

He shrugged. "She wanted me to because of her low pain tolerance. It turned out okay in my opinion, and Mikasa liked it so I didn't see a problem with it." For some reason, I wanted to see this tattoo of his.

"And that was your first, real, tattoo?"

"Yeah." He nodded. Once I decided that I felt the need to see this tattoo of his, we continued on in the building. I showed him the waiting area and Erwin's office. After that, I took him to my office. It was on the top floor and was a decent size. As soon as you walked in, you could feel the cherry blossom smell mixed with the air conditioning dance across your skin. There was a cherry oak desk in the back of the room, right in front of large picture windows that let in the light and scenery of New York City. The sky was as azure as could be and the clouds were puffy and white. I could tell instantly that Eren was taken by the view.

"Wow..." He breathed. I watched his wondrous face form a star stricken expression.

"Good thing I made the contractors put in these windows, huh?" I asked, making my way to my desk. I dropped down into my chair while simultaneously propping my feet on the desk and lacing my fingers behind my head. When I looked up, his eyes moved from the windows to me. I crooked my eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. That was a good idea." He coughed and sat down in one of the chairs across from my desk. I watched him get comfortable while letting his eyes roam around the open-concept styled room. The white walls contrasted well with the one grey wall on the left side. There was a tank of tropical fish against the wall on the opposite side. Eren stopped suddenly at the sight of the grand piano in the corner. "Do you play?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I know the fundamentals, but I kept that mostly because it was my grandmother's."

He nodded. "It'd be really expensive if you found it in stores. If you wanted to, you'd get a lot of money selling it. Obviously, you don't, but you would..." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked away.

"What makes you such a connoisseur of pianos?" I asked with a light scoff.

He looked up and I swore I saw the edges of his cheeks darken. "My mom was really into pianos. She played in the house all the time. It was her passion."

"Did she teach you anything?" It seemed Eren was not only artistically gifted, he was also musically gifted. I smirked and Eren laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I know how to play. I don't very often, but I can. I'm not too bad either, I guess." He played with a curl of hair on the base of his neck that swirled down onto his clavicle bone.

"Maybe someday you can play for me." I said before I could stop myself. Why did I say that? The piano is obviously a touchy subject, considering it reminded him of his late mother. "Someday." I added, insinuating that it didn't have to be now.

"S-Sure." He stuttered. I wasn't sure why, but this situation made him anxious. Or was it something else? Was it me making him so frazzled?

"Would you say you're a jumpy person?" He crossed his leg over the other and ran his hands back through his oak mane.

"Sometimes. It depends, really." Eren said.

"On?"

"If the situation is worth being nervous about." I wasn't sure if that made any sense, but I didn't question. Also, I wouldn't know. My nerves didn't jumble very often, so I couldn't quite understand where he was coming from. Usually, I was pretty sure of a lot of things in my life so I had no time or energy to be nervous.

"Is this a situation worth it?" I asked, but quietly like it was more to myself. It was, honestly, not directed at Eren. It was an inquiry for myself. Was this apprenticeship really that important to him? I glanced up to Eren's somber look. The expression wasn't right for him, so I changed the subject. "Anyways, I should be getting ready for the photo shoot. If you'll come with me to my apartment, that would be fantastic." I stood up and stretched out my back, my shirt lifting just above my inked hips. We left my office after I fed the fish and went down a flight of stairs. Eren just sat on the couch while I gathered some things. I didn't need to change my outfit or anything, the designers would do all of that. I made sure I had my lunch, my phone, phone charger-if needed- my contact case and of course, one very bouncy apprentice.

We went down the stairs and I met up with Erwin before heading out.

"Alright, Eyebrows, I'm going to the photo shoot for Ink Spread. If I'm not back by two, please tell my appointment to wait. I'm sure it won't kill them, yes?" I muttered. Erwin nodded with a crooked grin.

"Of course, dear." He said. I rolled my eyes and began for the back door to the parking alley. Eren followed me automatically. I lead him to my sleek, black Aston Martin Vanquish. Eren stopped dead as I unlocked the car with my remote starter.

"What?" I asked, turning around. His eyes roamed over every visible inch of my car with an open jaw and widened eyes. Beneath my breath, I chuckled. "It was very expensive and it's very clean, so understand if you get even a speck of dirt in it, I will break necks." I said nonchalantly. With a small smile, I climbed into the sterile vehicle. Eren blinked slowly and hurried over to the passenger side. He lowered into the seat with caution, but not without kicking off any grime from his Converse onto the concrete. I nodded to myself, already liking this kid. Once we were buckled in, I began driving with my playlist playing softly through the speakers. It was a a symphonic movement that my grandmother used to play. I hummed quietly to the tune. Glancing at Eren through my peripherals, I noticed him tapping out the notes on his knee with his left hand while staring out the window. I really wished that I could hear him play one day.

"So, other than piano and art, what else do you like to do?" I asked, honestly interested for once.

"Hm... I play the guitar, read books."He droned off, humming questionably. "I box a bit." Boxing? Yeah, I knew he kept his physique somehow. I couldn't really see the sport with him. He seemed like such a nice individual, not one who would give someone a broken nose and a black eye for the hell of it.

"Tell me about boxing. How did you get into it?" I wanted to keep the conversation going and I needed to know more about him.

"Well, a counselor I had at one of my foster homes suggested it. I guess I had anger problems and he wanted me to get it all out..." His eyes seemed to delve into something deeper as he faded off. Was he remembering the time when he had to box for the first time? Was he memorizing the sound of his fist against a punching bag? The idea of him having anger issues was so... preposterous. "I lashed out a lot as a teenager. Kids in the schools I went to weren't always the nicest. There was an asshole almost every one I went to. I couldn't take it." He shrugged and sighed. "I got into fights at school a lot, but I usually wasn't the one to instigate it. It was self defense most of the time, but the system didn't give a shit whether you started it or not. The foster kids always got picked on, they were already vulnerable enough."

That was probably the most I've heard Eren say at once, yet it made sense. I knew for damn sure some kids were cruel as hell, but I never let them pick on me in school.

"Easy targets." I mumbled.

"Exactly." Eren replied. "They were always the easiest to get riled up." And I understood why. "So, what about you? I told you somethings, now you tell me somethings. See how that works?" Eren joked. I sighed, relenting.

"I grew up in a military style family. My parents were as detached as one would expect two ex-marines to be. Of course, my brother was a military deity to them. I didn't want that life, so consider me the inked sheep among the cameo." That was all I decided to say for now. There wasn't much else to tell, so I stopped.

"I wouldn't have thought that about you. Although, you are kind of strict sometimes." Eren said to himself. I scoffed.

"Hey, I am for a good reason. Dumb asses don't listen unless you tell them in a firm way." I replied, defending my personality.

"Okay, sure." Eren laughed and the tightness was back in my chest. A warming, even. We were joking together now. Did that mean we were getting a better understanding of each other? Again, a professional relationship.

I pulled into a parking lot of a large building with windows all the way up. Parking into an open spot, I turned off the car.

"Before we go in there, I should warn you." I told him. His hand was around the handle, ready to vacate my car. One oak eyebrow quirked upwards.

"About...?"

I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. "Things get a bit hectic in there. People running around, shouting, organizing, deffinetly some pissed off photographers. Some models are harder to handle than others." Eren stayed quiet, but I knew he was listening. "Also... A few people may ask if they can give you a make over. It sounds pretty stupid, I know, but they're basically junkies for new skin to powder. The first time I brought in Erwin, they went fucking mental. If they ask, you can say no if you want. Otherwise, no one will bother you unless it's me. Just stay out of their way and you'll be fine."

Eren's mouth tipped in a smirk and he nodded. "Okay, yeah."

"Let's get this over with." We opened the doors simultaneously and exited the vehicle. The entrance was large, looming over us as if we were it's prey. And I suppose, we sort of were.


End file.
